The circular logic behind media coverage of the Clinton email story

[DonViejo]

By Paul Waldman August 19 at 12:26 PM

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton took some questions from the press about her emails, a story that jumps back on to the front pages whenever there’s some new development, whether it’s truly meaningful or not. And without much indication of serious malfeasance on Clinton’s part, we’re reaching the point where a circular logic is taking over: the story is a story because it’s a story, and therefore we need to keep talking about it because it’s a story.

A reporter asked Clinton at that press conference: “Is this an indication that this issue isn’t going to go away for the remainder of your campaign?” It was an all too familiar meta-inquiry, not about the substance of the issue (though there were questions about that too) but about the questions the reporters themselves are asking, and whether the candidate thinks reporters are going to keep asking them. Unfortunately, candidates get questions like that all the time. How will this controversy affect your campaign? Why aren’t these questions going away? Doesn’t this issue suggest that this is an issue? It’s as if the reporter decides that asking about the substance isn’t getting anywhere, so they might as well treat the candidate like a panelist on The McLaughlin Group. And the candidate never says anything remotely interesting or informative in response.

Now before the chants of “Clinton apologist!” begin, let me say that like many liberals, I have complicated feelings about Clinton, some positive and some not so positive. I’ve written many critical pieces about her in the past; I’ve even criticized her for setting up a private email server.

But we have to be clear about just what it is we’re looking for in this story.

Republicans are no doubt hoping that lurking somewhere in Clinton’s emails is evidence of a terrible crime she committed whose revelation will destroy her career forever and deliver the White House to the GOP for a generation. But just for the sake of argument, let’s assume that no such horror will be revealed. What do we have then? Well, we have the plainly foolish decision to use a private server for work email, which we’ve known about for months. Maybe you think that a person who would do such a thing is unfit for the presidency, or maybe you don’t (though that would disqualify Jeb Bush).

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/08/19/the-circular-logic-behind-media-coverage-of-the-clinton-email-story/?

[randome]

1. Why does the media keep talking about what the media keeps talking about?

Why does DU do the same?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[Thinkingabout]

2. Since the GOP has had lots of difficulty of maturnig a scandal against the Clintons I would always

withhold hope of it happening once again. Though the same method of emailing by the SOS in the past has occurred now is seems to be the worst sin ever committed.